The present invention relates to an apparatus for remote communication of a combustion performance parameter of a vehicle. In particular, to the remote communication of information from one or more of a plurality of sensors of vehicle combustion, including for the purpose of identifying vehicles with imperfect performance, combustion problems, or other problems related to fuel economy.
Internal combustion engines burn a mixture of fuel and air in a combustion chamber. The ignition of the air/fuel mixture creates the energy to drive the engine, but also creates a wide variety of exhaust gases. Also, even the most efficient internal combustion engines fail to burn all of the available air/fuel mixture. Thus, in addition to exhaust gases, some amount of unburned fuel comprises another unfortunate by-product of all internal combustion engines. Some portion of these by-products of combustion find their way into the engine causing premature deterioration of the engine, while the remainder of the by-products travel through the exhaust system of the vehicle, and eventually enter the atmosphere in one form or another. Compounding the problem is the fact that the natural consequence of driving a vehicle is the degeneration of the engine in terms of its ability to run efficiently, which accelerates the problem over time. Thus, even the most fuel-efficient vehicles fully equipped with pollution reduction devices generate excess pollution and eventually will become progressively more wasteful and inefficient over time. The effect on the environment of exhaust gases and the other by-products of internal combustion engines comprises one of the single greatest problems faced by today's society. The prior art offers a myriad of solutions to the problems created by the by-products of combustion, however, much room for improvement still exists.
Some of the common pollutants that result from internal combustion of hydrocarbon fuels include carbon dioxide (CO2)—the necessary by-product of complete combustion and a prime contributor to global warming, exhaust gases like the toxin carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbons (HC) that result from incomplete combustion of the air/fuel mixture. Furthermore, various unfavorable nitrogen oxides (NOx) result from the thermal fixation of nitrogen that takes place from the rapid cooling of burnt hydrocarbon fuel upon contact with the ambient atmosphere. The amount of these pollutants produced varies based on a number of factors including the type of engine involved, the age and condition of the engine, the combustion temperature, the air/fuel ratio, just to name a few. Many devices attempt to regulate and control these mechanical, environmental, and chemical processes for the purpose of reducing vehicle emissions.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,977 discloses a device that limits fuel to an internal combustion engine in order to reduce emissions. The device, sold under the trademark EconoCruise® made by Mirenco, Inc. of Radcliffe, Iowa, reacts in response to a plurality of sensors to manipulate the maximum open throttle position. The device is very successful in eliminating and/or reducing fuel emissions by preventing a host of inefficient and wasteful driving habits that can accelerate engine deterioration as well as increase engine exhaust, and the device is effective in limiting the flow of unburned fuel into the engine.
Another such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,472, which builds on the technology disclosed in the aforementioned patent, by incorporating it into a method and apparatus for reducing vehicle emissions through the use of satellite technology. A vehicle use profile is created by driving a vehicle over a predetermined course and monitoring throttle positions at predetermined intervals. The use profile reflects the driving habits of an efficient driver and can then be reproduced on subsequent trips over the same course by automatic means.
While these inventions are highly effective in reducing vehicle emissions it may be helpful in many cases to identify on a preemptive basis vehicles that due to mechanical or other problems that are generating a higher than normal amount of vehicle exhaust. In particular, engine problems that can produce inefficient use of fuel and unwanted vehicle emissions cannot be detected by visually monitoring vehicle emissions at least until the problems have reached very serious proportions. Thus, a more robust detection scheme is desirable. Similarly, routine preventative maintenance can identify for repair inefficient vehicles. Such a program, however, cannot detect problems that occur between maintenance intervals and result in performing maintenance on vehicles without problems. While preventative maintenance is certainly beneficial, the process is not designed to identify on a realtime basis problem vehicles.
In addition, maintenance and vehicle inspection programs cannot monitor on a realtime basis wasteful habits of inefficient drivers. It is known that individual driver performance can vary dramatically and have a substantial impact on fuel economy and therefore on vehicle emissions.
Thus, a need exists for a method and apparatus for the realtime communication of parameter of combustion performance.